Hibiscus plant named ‘Inner Glow’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of winter-hardy, herbaceous, perennial, hybrid Hibiscus plant named ‘Inner Glow’ comprising an upright, dense, mound habit of multiple, well-branched, mostly-upright basal stems producing flowers in the upper one-third to one-half of the plant for at least six weeks beginning late July to early August. Flowers have petals that are slightly cupped and slightly puckered and folded, of rich rose-pink with shiny moderate-red eye, a pale lavender-purple hallow center and a deep red and white striped column displaying yellow-colored pollen. The foliage is mainly tri-lobed with olive green and moderate burgundy color blushing. The new plant is useful in the landscape as a specimen plant or en masse.

Botanical classification: Hibiscus hybrid (L.).

Variety denomination: ‘Inner Glow’.

STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES UNDER 37 CFR 1.77(B)(6)

The first publically released non-enabling description was a photograph and brief description of the new plant first on Feb. 1, 2021 when it was listed on a website operated by Walters Gardens, Inc. Subsequently, the new plant had a non-enabling description and photograph in the “Walters Gardens 2021-2022 Catalog” first released on May 21, 2021. The first disclosure, in the form of a sale, was made by Walters Gardens, Inc. on Mar. 29, 2021 to Bachman's Wholesale Nursery followed by sales to Legacy Gardens. Walters Gardens, Inc. obtained the new plant and all information relating thereto, from the inventor. No plants of Hibiscus ‘Inner Glow’ have been sold, in this country or anywhere in the world, nor has any disclosure of the new plant been made, more than one year prior the filing date of this application, and such sale or disclosure within one year was either derived directly or indirectly from the inventor and would be 35 U.S.C § 102(b) exceptions.

BACKGROUND AND ORIGIN OF THE PLANT

The present invention relates to the new and distinct hardy, herbaceous, Hibiscus plant, Hibiscus ‘Inner Glow’ hybridized under direction of the inventor on Aug. 30, 2016 at a wholesale perennial nursery in Zeeland, Mich. The new plant is a self-pollination of ‘Evening Rose’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 33,366. Into the trial process the new plant was assigned the breeder code labeled 16-33-1. The parent has a complex mixture of species, comprising the species: moscheutos and coccineus.

Hibiscus ‘Inner Glow’ was first asexually propagated in late summer of 2018 by sterile shoot-tip tissue culture and later by greenhouse shoot tip cuttings at the same nursery in Zeeland, Mich. The resultant asexually propagated plants have been found to be stable and true to type in successive generations of asexual reproduction.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE PLANT

Hibiscus ‘Inner Glow’ differs from its parents as well as all other hardy herbaceous Hibiscus known to the applicant in many traits. The most similar Hibiscus known to the applicant are ‘Tie Dye’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 24,078, ‘Airbrush Effect’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 29,295, and ‘Spinderella’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 33,309.

‘Tie Dye’ is taller and more upright in habit, the foliage lacks the burgundy coloration, and the inner flower portion surrounding the eye is nearly white. ‘Airbrush Effect’ has foliage that is dark green, and the flowers are vibrant pink with salmon tones that appear speckled in greater concentration toward the apex. ‘Spinderella’ has a taller and broader habit, the foliage is ovate and deep-green colored, and the flowers have a darker pink leading edge and the apex of the petals with the overlapped edge of nearly white.

‘Evening Rose’ has flowers of vivid purplish-red coloration, without the lighter portion surrounding the eye.

Hibiscus ‘Inner Glow’ is a unique winter-hardy herbaceous Hibiscus with the following combined traits:

-   -   1. Winter-hardy compact perennial with upright habit of         multiple, well-branched, basal stems;     -   2. Many flat rotate flowers;     -   3. Flowers produced for about five to six weeks beginning         mid-summer;     -   4. Flower petals of rich rose-pink with deep red and white         striped column displaying yellow pollen;     -   5. Flower is slightly cupped with slight puckering and folding         in petals giving extra strength and support to flower;     -   6. Flower has a moderate-red shiny eye zone surrounded by pale         lavender-purple halo center;     -   7. Foliage is mainly tri-lobed, olive green with moderate         burgundy blushing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The photographs of the new plant demonstrate the overall appearance of the plant, including the unique traits. The colors are as accurate as reasonably possible with color reproductions. Ambient light spectrum, source and direction may cause the appearance of minor variation in color.

FIG. 1 shows a close-up of the flower and bud.

FIG. 2 shows a four-year-old plant in full flower in a trial garden.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following descriptions and color references are based on the 2001 edition of The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart except where common dictionary terms are used. The new plant, Hibiscus ‘Inner Glow’, has not been observed under all possible environments. The phenotype may vary slightly with different environmental conditions, such as temperature, light, fertility, moisture and maturity levels, but without any change in the genotype. The following observations and size descriptions are of four-year-old plants in the loamy-sand, open-field full-sun trials of a nursery in Zeeland, Mich. with supplemental fertilizer and water as needed. The plants are of natural habit and were not treated with plant growth regulators, nor were they pinched at any time in the growth year.

-   Parentage: The parent is ‘Evening Rose’; -   Propagation:     -   -   Method.—Shoot tip cuttings and sterile shoot-tip plant             tissue culture division.         -   Time to initiate roots from tissue culture.—About two weeks.         -   Rooting habit.—Normal, branching, developing thick to about             2.2 cm diameter, fleshy.         -   Root color.—Creamy yellow, nearest RHS 161D depending on             soil type.         -   Crop time.—Under normal summer growing conditions 12 to 16             weeks to flower in a four-liter container from cutting;             plant vigor very good. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant habit.—Winter-hardy herbaceous perennial with about 24             thick, mostly upright, heavily-branched stems producing an             upright mound to about 110 cm tall and about 120 cm wide.         -   Stem.—Cylindrical, glabrous, glaucous; to about 105 cm tall             and about 2.2 cm diameter at base, average about 95 cm tall             and about 1.5 cm diameter at base.         -   Stem color.—Distally nearest RHS N186C, proximally between             RHS 147C and RHS 138C.         -   Lateral branches.—To 15 per stem, average about 5 per stem;             emerging at about 45° angle from main stem; cylindrical;             glabrous; glaucous; with up to 10 flowers per branch; to             about 32 cm long and 5.0 mm diameter at base, smaller             distally.         -   Lateral branch color.—Distally nearest RHS N186C, proximally             nearest RHS 138B.         -   Internode.—About 20 to 25 nodes per stem below individual             flowers; average internode length about 4.2 cm on unpinched             plant.         -   Internode color.—Indistinguishable in color from surrounding             stem. -   Foliage description: Tri-lobed to penta-lobed; lobes dissected to     nearly three-quarters of the way to petiole; alternate; apex     narrowly acute; base rounded to nearly cordate; margin coarsely and     irregularly dentate; micro[puberulent adaxial and abaxial glabrous;     adaxial surface slightly lustrous when expanding and matte when     mature, abaxial surface matte; leaf blades to about 45.5 cm long and     about 12.2 cm across, average blade size about 14 cm long and about     9 cm across; no fragrance detected;     -   -   Foliage color.—Young expanding leaves adaxial variable with             strong anthocyanin between RHS N186B and RHS N186A and also             regions toward base between RHS 138A and RHS 137C, abaxial             expanding nearest blend between RHS 147C and RHS N138D with             irregular light blushing typically around leaf margins             nearest RHS 187B; mature leaves — adaxial variable between             RHS N187A and RHS 187A mottled with between RHS 146B and RHS             144A, abaxial between RHS 147B and RHS 146D with light             anthocyanin blushing distally nearest RHS 187A.         -   Veins.—Palmate; lustrous; glabrous; costate on abaxial.         -   Vein color.—Young adaxial veins nearest RHS 187A with midrib             nearest RHS, abaxial veins between RHS 146C and RHS 145B             with moderate pigmenting of nearest RHS 187C; mature adaxial             midrib nearest RHS 187A, abaxial nearest RHS 145B with             moderate to strong anthocyanin pigmenting nearest RHS 187C.         -   Petioles.—Mostly cylindrical; proximally slightly applanate             on adaxial surface near base; glaucous; glabrous; to about             6.8 cm long and 5.0 mm diameter at base, average size about             5.6 cm long and 3.5 nun wide at base.         -   Petiole color.—Adaxial nearest RHS N186C abaxial and nearest             RHS 146C variably blushed with nearest RHS N186C. -   Flower description: Complete; solitary; perfect; actinomorphic;     mostly outwardly facing; rotate; lasting up to two days on plant; to     about 16.0 cm across and slightly cupped petals and 6.5 cm deep with     column extending 38 mm long, flower size decreasing distally; -   Buds one day prior to anthesis: Ellipsoidal with bluntly rounded     apex and bluntly rounded base; with petal apices not tightly folded     together; sepals adpressed to petals; about 4.7 cm long and about     3.3 cm diameter in middle; -   Bud color one day prior to anthesis: Exposed petal color nearest RHS     60A and sepals nearest RHS 146C with strong anthocyanin blush on     veins and sepal center nearest RHS 187B; -   Epicalyx: Typically 10 to 12 per flower; linear; entire; with margin     micro-ciliolate; glabrous adaxial and micro-puberulent abaxial; dull     surface adaxial and abaxial; narrowly acute apex and truncate base,     distally arcuate toward center; to about 19.0 mm long and to about     2.5 mm wide at base; -   Epicalyx color: Adaxial nearest RHS 146B, abaxial between RHS 138A     and RHS 146B with moderate to heavy blushing of nearest RHS N186C in     distal abaxial surface; -   Calyx: Star-shaped hypanthium; campanulate; 18.0 mm deep and 55.0 mm     across; -   Sepals: Five, fused in basal 1.5 cm and free in distal 1.9 cm; acute     apex; glabrous adaxial and abaxial; margin entire, edentate; adaxial     and abaxial surfaces matte; individually about 34.0 mm long, about     19.0 mm wide at fusion; -   Sepal color: Adaxial between RHS 146C and RHS 147C, midrib nearest     RHS 145C and primary veins nearest RHS 146B; abaxial nearest RHS     146B heavily blushed around veins with anthocyanin nearest RHS 187B; -   Inflorescence: Up to 40 total solitary flowers per main stem without     pinching, 18 on the upper unbranched portion and 22 in the lower     branched portions; -   Flowering season: Effective for five to six weeks beginning late     July to early August depending on weather; -   Flower fragrance: None detectable; -   Petals: Five; glabrous adaxial and abaxial, lustrous eye; adnate to     the androecium to form a column, imbricate to about 45% overlapping     at widest part (petals overlapping 45% to the petals on either     side); palmately veined, primary veins impressed on adaxial and     slightly costate abaxial; surface slightly dimpled with irregular     folding; rounded with distinct claw and limb; margins: entire,     edentate; apex rounded; base short claw-like; -   Petal size: Average about 9.5 cm across and about 9.5 cm long, claw     base about 8.5 mm across, smaller in later part of flowering season; -   Petal color: Adaxial distal 35.0 mm wide region nearest RHS 67B with     veins nearest RHS 64A, 5.0 mm of internal center eye nearest RHS     53A, region between 5.0 mm and 17.0 mm from center nearest RHS 59A,     central 25.0 mm wide between RHS N66D and RHS 76C with veins     radiating through the middle of nearest RHS 59A proximally and     distally becoming nearest RHS 64B; abaxial basal 20 mm of eye RHS     NN155D, distal 8.0 mm of eye a blend between RHS 67C and RHS 67B,     distally transitioning from between RHS N66D and RHS 76C in the     center portion to nearest RHS 67B along the distal margin; -   Flower lastingness: One to up to two days in cooler conditions; -   Gynoecium: Single; partially enclosed in column; 50.0 mm long;     -   -   Column.—Lustrous and glabrous, fringed distally with acute             lobe apices; about 31.0 mm long and about 10.0 mm across at             base; with pistil exserted about 13.0 mm.         -   Column color.—Proximally between RHS 53A and RHS 53B,             distally striated with between RHS 53B and NN155D, with apex             nearest RHS 53B.         -   Style.—Micro-puberulent in region exserted above column,             glabrous below in region contained in column; about 37.0 mm             long and 2.0 mm diameter at base, penta-furcate in about             distal 10.0 mm; branch diameter about 1.2 mm; color nearest             RHS NN155B, distally transitioning to between RHS 60C and             RHS 61B.         -   Stigma.—Typically five; flattened globose, puberulent, about             2.0 mm in diameter and 1.0 mm tall; color nearest RHS 59C.         -   Ovary.—Superior; conical; broadly acute apex; truncate base;             longitudinally fluted; to about 11.0 mm across at base and             about 9.0 mm tall; color nearest RHS 150D. -   Androecium: On column;     -   -   Filaments.—Numerous, about 120; about 3.5 mm long and about             0.2 mm diameter; attached along nearly the entire length of             column; color individually nearest RHS 63D proximally and             nearest RHS N155D distally.         -   Anthers.—Flattened reniform; dorsifixed; about 2.0 mm long             and 2.0 mm across and about 1.0 mm thick; color between RHS             11C and RHS 11B.         -   Pollen.—Abundant, globose, less than 0.1 mm long; color             nearest RHS 13C. -   Pedicel: Cylindrical; glabrous; lustrous; lustrous; upright;     arcuate; size to about 4.5 mm diameter distally and 3.0 mm diameter     proximally, length from abscission point to stem node to about 40.0     mm long; longer on earlier flowers and decreasing on later distal     flowers; -   Pedicel color: Distal portion nearest RHS 146B with moderate     anthocyanin blush of nearest RHS 187B, proximal portion below     abscission nearest RHS 146B with moderate to heavy anthocyanin blush     of nearest RHS 187B; -   Peduncle: Cylindrical, glabrous, glaucous; to about 110.0 cm long     and 2.2 cm diameter at base, average about 95.0 cm long and 1.5 cm     diameter at base; flowering in the distal one-third to one-half;     with up to 15 branches that are up to 32 cm long; -   Peduncle color: Distally nearest RHS N186C where exposed to high     light, and nearest RHS 146D where protected from high light     exposure, proximally between RHS 147C and RHS 138C; -   Fruit: Globose to ellipsoidal, penta-loculicidal capsule; pubescent     along inner septa with hairs of nearest RHS 158A to about 4.0 mm     long, glabrous outside; cuspidate apex and flattened base; about     19.0 mm long and 18.0 mm diameter; color nearest RHS 200A when     mature; -   Seed: About 30 to 40 seeds per pod; minutely floccose; globose;     about 3.0 mm in diameter; color between RHS N199C and RHS N199B; -   Resistance: Hibiscus ‘Inner Glow’ has not displayed any pest and     disease resistance or susceptibility beyond that typical of hardy     perennial Hibiscus. -   Growing conditions: The plant grows best in full-sun with plenty of     moisture. -   Winter hardiness: At least from USDA zone 4 through 9, and other     disease resistance is typical of that of other hardy Hibiscus     cultivars. 

I claim:
 1. A new cultivar of hardy herbaceous perennial Hibiscus plant named ‘Inner Glow’ as herein illustrated and described. 